Pet Portraits - from the front and from behind

I enjoy taking photographs of pets. In fact pet photography is something which I hope to specialise in longer term.

Photographs showing the animal looking towards the camera can give an insight into the animal's character. The German Shepherd dog below, for example, looks alert and inquisitive. His gaze conveys the nobility and wisdom which tend to be associated with the breed. I used a small depth of field for this photograph to blur the background and keep focus on the dog.

The puppy in the following picture also looks inquisitive and alert. You can see from the size of her paws that she has some growing still to do! This picture was taken on my mobile telephone and I was pleased with the result. Mobile technology is so good these days that many 'phone cameras produce lovely pictures (and there is an impressive range of photo processing software available too).

Having pets looking directly at the camera can create a connection between the viewer and the animal. Sometimes though, as in my 'Best Friends' photograph below, having the animals turned away from the camera can be equally effective. 

In this picture the dogs were on their way back to the car after a busy day exploring together. The image conveys a sense of togetherness as they walk alongside one and other. You can feel the companionship between the two as they stroll. They do not appear to be alarmed or distressed but are heading purposefully towards somewhere they both want to be. In this case, car, home and tea time.

I hope to share more pet portraits with you as I continue on my journey. Until then, enjoy your own photography journey and I will post again soon.

Creative Photography Workshop at the Natural History Museum

Last Saturday, I spent the morning at the Natural History Museum in London. The museum is always a fantastic place to visit but on Saturday I was there to participate in a creative photography workshop run by the extremely talented Chris Gomersall.

Chris has been a wildlife photographer for a number of years and in 2007 he won the prestigious title of European Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Who could ask for a better tutor for the morning!

As well as sharing a number of his own images, Chris talked us through some of the creative photography techniques which he, and other photographers, use very effectively. The message was that we shouldn't be afraid to try new ideas, and experimenting by breaking the 'rules' can lead to some interesting pictures.

The examples which follow are my attempts at rule breaking:

1. Shoot into rather than away from the Sun.

2. Move the camera vertically or horizontally while the shutter is open. The image below shows vertical movement; the shutter was open for 1/4 seconds and the exposure compensation was set to -5 points.

3. Using the flash even in bright sunlight.

I will continue to experiment as my journey progresses and will be looking out for future courses at the Natural History Museum; based on this experience I can recommend them very highly. 

I'm sure you can find plenty of other ideas to work on in creating your own unique pictures. It's about learning from others and not being afraid to try your own thing - as always, have fun!

Maternity Unit Photographs

Earlier this year, the Maternity Partnership at Warwick Hospital invited mothers and photographers to submit photographs of babies born at the hospital to display in the Maternity Unit. The photo initiative was set up by the Partnership with the aim of enhancing the existing facilities in the Maternity Unit and improving the experience which new parents have when using the Unit. 

There was a fantastic response to the call for pictures, with over 150 being submitted by mothers and professional photographers. Having photographed a relative who was born at the hospital towards the end of last year, I sent in three of my own images for consideration. I was absolutely delighted when one of the pictures was selected. 

The picture (below) shows the baby sleeping peacefully at home. I didn't want to use flash for the image so set a high ISO, and used the natural light falling through a window . I used monochrome for the picture to highlight the different tones and draw out the contrast between the textures in the picture.

And here is a picture of the photographs which were selected for the display (I'm at the front on the left). It was a pleasure to be involved in the handover event and I am grateful to the Partnership and to Warwick Hospital for the opportunity to have my work displayed alongside some other beautiful pictures in the Maternity Unit.

Edouard Boubat Quote

"Over a lifetime I have noticed that everything is woven together by chance encounters and special moments. A photograph gives you a deep insight into a moment, it recalls the whole world." More on Edouard Boubat

Patience!

I recently spent a weekend in Hay-on-Wye trying to resist the temptation to spend hundreds of pounds on books ... this really is very difficult when surrounded by such wonderful shops full of literary treasures!

When not perusing bookshelves, I took some time to explore along the River Wye. Finding a quiet spot I spotted a heron fishing and proceeded to spend the next couple of hours observing and photographing the bird. Just over 700 photographs later I left the river behind and returned to my hotel to begin processing the pictures.

I do enjoy reviewing images and it takes me much less time these days to sort my pictures. Perhaps I am more self-critical than I used to be but whatever the reason, I appreciate having a bit of extra time to take more photos. The picture below is my favourite from the shoot. The heron was moving between fishing spots and I was fortunate that on this occasion it moved towards me, and I had the camera ready!

  
I was using a polarising filter to bring out some of the contrast in the heron's plumage and the water so I increased the exposure by plus 5 points. I wanted to freeze the motion by using as high a shutter speed as possible, but I did not want the image to be too dark so I took several test shots to find the right balance between shutter speed and exposure compensation. 

The full details behind the shot are: Canon 7D with a +5 exposure bias, ISO 3200, 1/1500 second shutter speed, f/5.6 aperture and a Tamron AF 150-600 lens.

I was very pleased with the final picture. I'm never going to complain about spending hours nature watching but patience really is key to capturing any pictures of nature. As animals are patient in their endeavours, so a photographer must be patient in theirs.